Enticing young people to join the trucking profession is key to the health of our supply chain. The shortage of drivers is only expected to increase in the coming years as more people retire. Without young drivers joining the profession, the supply chain issues we have seen over the last two years will be nothing to compare to the problems we will face in the future.
Several programs are working on reaching young people, improving their interest, and smoothing their way into the trucking profession. Today, we will look at these programs and their efforts with Gen Z.
Next Generation in Trucking
The Next Generation in Trucking Association is a non-profit trade association focusing on exposing young people to careers in trucking and partnering with schools to establish training programs for Generation Z.
They offer resources to students providing information about careers in trucking, training programs, and aids for job searching. To assist educators, they offer programs related to starting CDL Driver, Technicians, and Supply Chain programs for your high school. For companies, they provide resources for starting your apprenticeship program and the opportunity to get involved with The Next Generation in Trucking Association at the local level.
Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program
The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program is a federal program mandated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This program allows CDL drivers under the age of 21 with intrastate licenses to operate interstate through their program.
This pilot program will run for a maximum of 3 years. At the program's completion, the program's findings and recommendations will be reported to Congress. The program will allow a maximum of 3,000 apprentices at one time, working with a maximum of 1,000 carriers.
For carriers that wish to participate in the program, you must register your apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor. Once your program is approved, carriers must hire apprentices that meet the program requirements, submit monthly data on driver activity, and notify FMCSA of any issues with the apprentice, including fatal accidents, changing carriers/leaving the program, or drug and alcohol violations.
Conclusion
Recruiting young drivers is key to reducing the driver shortage. We encourage all companies to participate in programs that promote and recruit young drivers. Next month, we will discuss how you can improve your recruitment marketing to attract younger drivers.
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Debra_lz
Debra Watkins covers recruitment and digital marketing for Lionzone. A Nashville native, after graduating from the University of Kentucky, Debra utilized her research and writing skills in the museum and heritage tourism fields, rising to director of two institutions before returning to Nashville in 2020 to join Lionzone.
